D 570 
.P35 
1919 
Copy 1 



D 570 U, S' ~^"f 

.fl35 

1919 

r 1 ^®' i HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. | Document 

^opy 1 I [ JNo. 153. 



PERMANENT RANK TO CERTAIN OFFICERS OF UNITED 
STATES ARMY AND NAVY. 



MESSAGE 

FROM THE 



PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 

RECOMMENDING 

GRANTING TO JOHN J. PERSHING AND PEYTON C. MARCH THE 
PERMANENT RANK OF GENERAL AND TO WILLIAM S. BENSON 
AND WILLIAM S. SIMS THE PERMANENT RANK OF ADMIRAL. 



FuLY 18, 1919.- -Ordered printed, and so much as refers to military matters to the 
Committee on Military Affairs and so much as refers to the Navy to the Com- 
mittee on Naval Affairs. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

I take the liberty of calling your attention to a matter which I 
am sure is at the heart of the whole country, and which I have had 
rer}' m^uch in mind throughout all these months when we were 
trying to arrange a peace that would be worthy of the spirit and 
achievements of the men who won the victory in the field and on 
the sea. After mature reflection, I earnestly recommend that you 
give the permanent rank of general to John J. Pershmg and Peyton 
C. March, expressing the law in such a way as to give precedence to 
Gen. Pershing; and that you ^ive the permanent rank of admiral 
to Wilham S. Benson ancl William S. Sims. I take it for granted 
that I am only anticipating your own thoughts m proposing these 
honors for the men upon whom the principal responsibilities devolved 
for achieving the great results which our incomparable Navy and 
Army accomplished. 

WooDROw Wilson. 

The White House, 

18 July, 1919. 

O 



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